England fans have been warned not to sing Brexit chants during the Three Lions’ Group G decider against Belgium in Kaliningrad, Russia on Thursday.
FIFA, football’s governing body, said that it would fine the Football Association (FA) if English fans were chanting slogans that could be deemed ‘insulting’ or ‘political’.
The World Cup match has been billed as the ‘Brexit derby,’ due to the EU headquarters being located in Belgium’s capital city, Brussels. It is the first time the two sides have faced off since Britain voted to leave the EU two years ago.
Under FIFA rules, national football associations are liable for any improper conduct by their fans. A FIFA spokesman warned supporters against ‘displaying insulting or political slogans’ or ‘uttering insulting words or sounds’ during the tournament.
He added: “Of course, there is a risk of some kind of punishment to the FA.” During the Euro 2016 tournaments – days after the Brexit vote – England fans in Nice, France were filmed chanting ‘we’re not in Europe anymore’.
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/06/26/england-faces-fifa-fine-if-fans-shout-brexit-chants-during-belgium-match-7660974/?ito=cbshare
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